Vastupidama

Vastupidama is an Estonian verb meaning to withstand, to resist, or to oppose something. It denotes the act of withstanding external pressure, danger, or challenges, as well as resisting ideas, temptations, or influence. The infinitive is formed from the prefix vastu- meaning against and the verb pidama meaning “to hold,” conveying the sense of holding out against something. It belongs to a family of resistance-related verbs in Estonian and has related nouns such as vastupidavus (durability, resilience) and vastupanu (resistance).

Usage of vastupidama spans both physical endurance and abstract opposition. It can describe someone who withholds or endures an adverse condition, or someone who resists pressure, an argument, or temptation. In everyday speech, near-synonyms or alternative constructions such as vastupida or phrases built around vastu pidama are common, depending on formality and nuance.

In linguistic terms, the exact sentence structure and case-marking of the target of resistance depend on context, as with many Estonian verbs. The word is primarily found in more formal or literary styles, though it remains understood in general discourse.

See also: vastupidavus, vastupanu, vastupida.